Attachment for finger-bars of mowers or reapers.



' No. 761,488. 7 PATENTED MAY 3 1904.

, (L J. HIRSGH.

ATTACHMENT FOR FINGER BARS OF MOWERS 0R REAPBRS.

APPLIQATION FILED DOT. 3, 1903.

- N0 MODEL.

UNITED STATES Patented May 31, 1904.

PATENT ()FFICE.

- CHARLES J. HIRSCH, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

ATTACHMENT FOR FINGER-BARS OF'MOWERS OR REAPERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0.'761,4 88, dated May 31,1904.

Application filed Obtober s, 1903.

To all whom it may concern 7 Be it known that I, CHARLES J. HIRsci-I,residing at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State ofWisconsin, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Attachmentsfor-Finger-Bars of Mowers or Reapers, of which the following isadescription,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which are a part ofthis specification.

My invention relates to'devices to be attached to the finger-bar in amower or harvester, the device being avine or straw lifter and beingattached tothe finger-bar of the moweror harvester projects forwardlytherefrom and is adapted to lift straw or vines, especially the straw ofgrain that .has been blown down by winds or beaten down by the rain, ormatted clover or pea-vines from the ground and lift such straw or vinesto such extent that the straw or vines can be readily cut by the knivesof the machine, and will then pass over the cutter-bar and fall at therear thereof. I

The object of the present invention is to provide improved devices ofthis character that are simple and inexpensive in construction, that arestrong and durable in quality, and that are especially adapted for andefficient in performing the work of lifting straw or, vines and ofclearing themselves there from. 1

My improved construction is especiallyvaluable in that it' isexceedingly simple in character and obviates all loose joints that areliable to catch and become clogged by and embarrassed w1th anaccumulation of straw or vines that occurs in devices of this generalcharacter having hinge-jointsand independent springs, especiallycoiled-wire springs, that are liable to catch and hold vines and straw.

The invention consists of the device, its parts, and combinations, asherein described and claimed, or the equivalents thereof.

In the drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of my improved mowerattachment in connection with a shoe in common use, adapted to befastened to the front extremity of a knife-guard on the linger-bar of amower or harvester. Fig. 2 is a bottom view of the Serial No. 175,554:-(No model.)

construction shown in elevation in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a side elevation ofmy improved de vice slightly changed in form from that shown in Eis-lnIn the drawings, 2represents a shoe of a form in common use providedwith a bolt 3, by means of which bolt the shoe is adapted to be securedto a guard of a knife on a finger-bar of a mower or reaper. This shoe 2is provided with a cap-piece 4, secured in and covering a portion of agroove in the front end of the shoe, into which groove the frontextremityof the knife-guard projects when the shoe is attached thereto.The cap-piece 4 is secured to the shoe 2 by means of a bolt '5 and formsa cover for the front end of the knife-guard.

My improved device is adapted to be secured to the front end of the shoe2 in its lower surface and extends forwardly thereof, so as to beadapted in use to precede the shoe and the knife-guard when in use.

Theimproved device consists of an elastic runner 6, conveniently made ofa strip of steel, to the front end of which is secured a pilot member 7having its under edge inclined or curved upwardly slightly at 8 to thefront point 9, from which point the device is carried rearwardlyobliquely upwardly, forming a ridge or'liftingbar 1.0. The pilot membermay be a casting and secured rigidly to the front end of the elasticspring runner 6. The front end 9 of the pilot member is only raised somuch from the level of the lower edge of the member at the rear thereofand of the runner 6 as to prevent its digging into the ground, but isstill so close to the ground as to pass under straw or vines lying veryclose to the ground, whereby the pilot member will run under the vinesor straw and will lift them from the ground, raising them up on thelifting-bar 10 as the pilot runs under them. The elastic runner 6, whilebeing of sufiicient strength to force the pilot under the vines or strawand lift them, is still sufficiently elastic to permitthe pilot tofollow the irregular contour of the ground closely, thus enabling thepilot to surely get beneath vines or straw as it advances through themass. The construction being without any hinge-joint or independent andexposed IOC spring is not liable to and does not catch and holdpea-vines or straw to the detriment of its successful use.

In the form shown in Fig. 3 the rear portion 11 of the ridge-bar isturned or bent slightly downwardly, so as readily to relieve itself fromvines or straw.

What I claim as my invention is 1. An attachment for a finger-bar of amower or reaper, consisting of an elongated elastic runner adapted to besecured to the finger-bar in front thereof, and a rigid pilot membersecured to and carried on the front free end of the elastic runner, thepilot member having a rigid rearwardly and obliquely diverginglifting-bar opposite to the runner.

2. In combination with a finger-bar of a mower or reaper, a vine orstraw lifter, comprising asubstantially straight elongated elasticrunncrsecured to the linger-bar and projecting in front thereof, and a rigid.liftingbar fast to and carried on the elastic runner at its front endand extending rearwardly obliquely upwardly therefrom.

3. In combination, a substantially straight elastic runner, a rigidpilot secured to the front end of the runner and diverging rearwardly ina rigid bar from and opposite to and in a plane with the elastic runner,the rear end of the runner being adapted to be secured without a movablejoint to the lingerbar of a mower or reaper.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES J HIRSCH.

Witnesses:

C. T. BENEDICT, ANNA F. SCHMIDTBAUER.

